What Lies Beneath

2000 Mystery & Suspense

In this supernatural thriller, a woman believes that a visitor from another dimension is trying to guide her into a sinister mystery. Feeling lonely after her daughter leaves home for college, Claire (Michelle Pfeiffer) begins to sense that something is wrong in her house, and feels a spirit is trying to contact her. At first her husband Norman (Harrison Ford), a scientist doing research in genetics, attributes her paranormal beliefs to stress or possibly a nervous breakdown, and sends her to a psychiatrist (Joe Morton) who puts no more stock in Claire's stories than does Norman. While Claire's contention that someone or something sinister is afoot leads her down a number of blind alleys, in time she becomes convinced that the mysterious happenings at her home are somehow connected to the disappearance of a woman who was a student at the nearby college -- and bore a striking resemblance to Claire. What Lies Beneath marked the debut of screenwriter Clark Gregg, whose script is based on a story by himself and Sarah Kernochan; the supporting cast includes Diana Scarwid as Claire's best friend Jody, and James Remar and Miranda Otto as a contentious couple living next door. more..

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Diana Scarwid, Joe Morton, James Remar

Reviews

  • Bears the weight of too many genres jostling for screen time.

    Lisa Schwarzbaum - Entertainment Weekly

    11 May 2013

  • Goes Hitchcock one better by imagining what it would be like if the master had the advantage of digital technology.

    Bob Graham - The San Francisco Chronicle

    11 May 2013

  • A classy supernatural lady-in-distress thriller.

    Michael Wilmington - The Chicago Tribune

    11 May 2013

  • A few scenes indulge in overstated hokum or thriller clichés, but Pfeiffer is first-rate and several sequences are suspenseful enough to deserve that overused adjective, Hitchcockian.

    David Sterritt - Christian Science Monitor

    11 May 2013

  • An uncommonly playful fright machine -- a fun house factory of scares.

    Rene Rodriguez - Miami Herald

    11 May 2013

Awards

  • Top Box Office Films

    ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards (2001)

  • Best Actress

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (2001)

     
  • Favorite Actor - Suspense

    Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (2001)

  • Best Horror/Thriller

    Golden Trailer Awards (2001)

     
  • Best Male Dubbing (Migliore Doppiaggio Maschile)

    Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (2001)